An early gift that could save lives

Firefighters, Lowe's give out carbon monoxide detectors in Niles.

Firefighters, Lowe's give out carbon monoxide detectors in Niles.

December 21, 2005|LOU MUMFORD Tribune Staff Writer

NILES -- It's a little early to receive Christmas presents, but Russell Hite will take the one that was delivered Saturday. It could end up saving his life. The Floral Drive resident was one of more than 100 Niles area residents who received at no charge Saturday carbon monoxide detectors, courtesy of Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse of Niles and the Niles city and Niles Township fire departments. "I'll take it because I sure can't afford to have one," said Hite, of the 2400 block of Floral Drive, after township firefighter Mike Pease presented him with his detector. As it turns out, Hite's detector came with a bonus. While inspecting Hite's smoke detector, Pease determined it wasn't working and put Hite on a list to receive a new one, again at no charge. Niles city and township firefighters, aided by volunteers from Lowe's, fanned out over the Niles area Saturday to distribute the detectors. Those homeowners who didn't already have them were happy to accept them, for the most part, and a few took advantage of offers to have them installed. Niles city firefighter Scott Rieth said the city receives perhaps 40 calls a year regarding possible carbon monoxide situations. Of those, about four or five calls result in detection of various levels of CO fumes, he said. He recalled a case four years ago in which a family was preparing a Thanksgiving Day meal and was saved in part by a CO detector. He said the detector picked up fumes emitted by a malfunctioning gas range. The CO level at the house was about 12,500 parts per million, he said, or only slightly less than the level leading to unconsciousness and possible death. "They just got lucky that the living room (where the family was gathered) was on the far side of the house. That's what helped them," he said. Jennifer Cunningham, human resource manager at Lowe's in Niles, said store officials decided to give away CO detectors through the Lowe's Heroes employee initiative program. The company purchased 80 of the battery-operated detectors, she said, and the detector manufacturer Kidde Co., based in the United Kingdom, donated 30. "The individual stores come up with issues that they feel fit their communities," she said. "I remember seeing that last year, when people got cold, they'd turn on their furnaces, and I think I remember a death (from CO) very recently in Niles." She said the company in January plans to distribute smoke detectors throughout Berrien County as well. Staff writer Lou Mumford: lmumford@sbtinfo.com (269) 687-7002